Our own story started just after we were married, deciding to travel and work in Europe for three years – Matt as a freelance writer and Tania as a teacher at an international school.

Now, 25 years later, we’ve spent more than half our adult lives abroad — traveling, studying, working and eventually raising our three daughters. It was through these experiences that we came to realize how beneficial a multicultural upbringing could be, and that exposure at a young age was all the more powerful.

In 2016 we made the decision for Matt to leave his career as a US diplomat, and we launched Around the World Stories. We created AWS to help parents bring multicultural education into their homes in a fun and memorable way. Our goal is to provide authentic stories about other countries that both educate and entertain. We’ve written over 100 stories about 25 countries and are now ready to continue with more.

Our stories are told through the perspective of children (and a few times animals) who live in other countries. Through fun and sometimes outrageous plots, young listeners learn about how other kids across the globe live, learn, eat, celebrate, play and help others. The young characters in each story exhibit global values such as kindness, generosity, respect, honesty and compassion for others.

Storytelling has always been an important part of our family life — whether before bedtime, around the dinner table, or as a tool for schooling on the road. We’ve found that traditional lessons may come and go, but a good story sticks. It becomes a part of you like your own personal memories.

Above everything, we hope that our passion for other cultures comes through in the stories we’ve created for your children and that our stories and guides provide you, as parents, with valuable tools for raising tomorrow’s global citizens and compassionate adults.

Happy listening and joyful learning!

Matt and Tania